Braking system



June 15, 1937. w, KQCHMANN 2,083,654

BRAKING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 26, 19 55 2 F j :2 I z 10 II Vlzlliiillllllllllllll, I

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llll llllll p l Patented June 15, 1937 BRAKING SYSTEM Wilhelm Kochmann,Berlin, Germany Application November 26, 1935, Serial No. 51,667 InGermany February 1, 1926 13 Claims.

The unpleasant and irritating effect felt by the passengers of a vehiclewhen the latter is braked sharply is well known, and if the vehicle is aheavy one, the effect concerned may be increased to immediate seriousdanger.

It is necessary in such cases to consume by the braking forces thekinetic energy of 'the moving object slowly and gradually in elasticfashion in adaptation to the particular conditions of the material andthe degree of retardation to which the passengers may be amenablewithout detrimental results. Assuming, for example, it is desired tointercept and stop by means of a socalled safety device a lift orelevator falling by reason of a broken rope, that is to sayto intercepta heavy weight moving rapidly downwards, the sudden annihilation of anenormous kinetic energy of this kind, say by a wedge grip gear or aninstantaneously acting air brake, for example by the action of the gasderived from an explosive powder on the piston of an air brake, wouldcause.

either the braking mechanism itself or the guide beam or the like onwhich the braking mechanism acts to be damaged or destroyed, renderingany braking eflect illusory and resulting in serious injuries to thepassengers in the lift or in damage to the material. The inventionrelates to brakes of the pneu matic or fluid-pressure type, which at therequircd moment produce arbitrarily or automatically by chemicalreaction the difference in pressure in front of and behind the brakepiston, the arrangement being such in accordance with the invention thatthis pressure is not produced suddenly or in explosive fashion and sincethe pressure is produced over a certain length of time and notinstantaneously, it does not take'efiect all at once (as in anexplosion) but gradually.

This is accomplished by the fact that as agent 40 for producing theover-pressure or under-pressure, that is to saythe difference inpressure in front of and behind the piston resulting in the brakingaction, there are employed chemical reactions, which are not explosivein themselves and are so controlled or conducted that they take placegradually and preferably with such regulation of the rate of reaction orrate of generation of the gas over the entire range producing thedifferences in pressure, or at least over important phases of thereaction, that even the nature of the generation of the pressure is moreor less adapted to the conditions associated with the consumption ofpressure in respect of the type of brake concerned, or may be fullyadapted thereto by simple additional mechanical means.

Various examples of the arrangement according to the invention aredescribed in the following without, however, limitation thereto. As ameans for obtaining the reduction in pressurenecessary for a brakingsystem in which a vacuum acts on the one side of the piston andatmospheric pressure on the other Ipropose to fill the one part of thebrake cylinder, or a container connected with the same, with carbondioxide or sulphur dioxide, and to inject at the desired moment asuitable liquid, such as a solution of sodium hydrate (NaOH), whichabsorbs the gas and creates a vacuum. If, for example, $02 or NH: isused, the absorbent may be water.

For producing the gas pressure'for braking systems acting with anover-pressure on the one side of the piston I propose to employ thecombustible and gas-pressure generating substances according to my priorPatent No. 1,493,347, which are obtained by depriving explosives oftheir violent explosive power and causing the same to burn slowly andgradually without explosion.

As an example of the use of the controlled chemical braking systemaccording to the invention reference may be made solely for the purposeof explanation and without involving any limitation to a lift orelevator falling by reason of a broken rope, which is intercepted andheld by the movement-of a piston in a cylinder under the action ofpressure or vacuum, the movement of the piston being transmitted tobrake shoes or the like which, in a manner known per se and not,constituting part of the present invention, press in turn against aguide beam or rail and thus effect braking. The extent, rate and natureof this braking pressure will naturally vary dependent on the particulartype and size of lift concerned. For the purpose of the present example,however, it will be assumed that the pressure is applied in three stagesand is such that at first a very rapid movement of the brake shoes isrequired in order to bridge the space between the same and the guiderail with the least delay and to initiate the braking action withminimum loss of time before the downward momentum becomes too great.There will then be necessary for actual braking purposes a gradualincrease of the pressure or the vacuum for the purpose of graduallydestroying the kinetic energy, and finally an appreciable increase inpressure will be required definitely to stop the now motionless orlittle moving lift and hold the same in this position.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a section through a brakingsystem according to the invention in which a vacuum is created inregulable fashion by absorption.

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in section a braking system in which a regulated increasein pressure is obtained by combustible substances according to 10 mysaid prior Patent No. 1,493,347.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a means for the automatic act ation of the braking system.

In Fig. 1 the cylinder l is filled on the one 15 (right hand) side ofthe piston 2 with a readily soluble dry gas, such as ammonia or sulphurdioxide of approximately atmospheric pressure or a slightly higherpressure. By the injection of an absorbent, such as water, or a solutionof 20 sodium hydrate, a vacuum is created on this side of the piston,whilst the opposite side is acted upon by the atmosphere, so that thepiston 2 together with the rod 4 is moved in opposition to the spring 3and thus actuates a brak- :5 ing device la, which latter does notconstitute per se part of the present invention. A cock 5 for cleaningand filling purposes is provided in the feed pipe for the gas.- Theinjection nozzle 6 is connected by the feed pipe I with the reser- 30voir 8 for the absorbent, which by means of the piston 9 urged by thespring I is maintained continuously at the injection pressure. Air isallowed to enter the reservoir 8 behind the piston 9 through the orifice8a.

35 In the pipe I there is provided a cock or control device II, which isgoverned in certain fashion corresponding with the energy requirementsof the particular type of brake by means of a lever 12, which is cockedby a spring IS, a

40 roller l4 and a rotatable cam l furnished with a spiral spring 16.

In accordance, therefore, with this example the control device II isfirst opened wide for a short space of time, then closed to a certainex- 45 tent and maintained in this condition for a certain time, andfinally again opened wide. There accordingly occurs for a brief periodan appreciable absorption and then for a more prolonged period amore orless progressive one and 50 finally again a rapid absorption.

When not in use the control device is held by a locking means, forexample the lever l1 and the spring l8. when the rope breaks the leveris withdrawn in any known manner, for example 55 by means of anelectro-magnet IS, the lift 3|, for example, inaccordance with Fig. 5,being supported by the rope 21 through the medium of a spring 28 which,when the rope breaks, relaxes and closes a. contact 22 and accordin y 60also the circuit of the electro-magnet l9.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the arrangement in Fig. 1, in which thereis connected with the cylinder space i through the medium of the pipe 2|a container 22, which is also'fllled with the 65 absorbable gas. Thelatter is'brought into contact with the absorbent in this container andnot in the cylinder proper. The principle, however, does not vary. Thereis also provided a feed cock 23 for the gas anda discharge and cleaning7 cock 5.

A further embodiment is illustrated in Figs.

3 and 4, in which 24 is the cartridge according to my said prior PatentNo. 1,493,347 used for generating gas pressure. Four of these car- 75tridges are so arranged that after one of them upon the breaking of therope 21.

has been used and after completion of the braking action and after thecylinder has been emptied and the spring returned to its originalposition a new cartridge isready for use and the braking device is againoperable. The cylinder abut- 5 ment containing the cartridges may beopen towards the cylinder I. If, as in the example shown, there areprovided a plurality of cartridges capable of being ignited singly asdesired, the respective compartments for these cartridges may be closedby suitable sealing means which protect the reserve cartridges againstthe pressure of the cartridge which may be in action. These sealingmeans, therefore, must be capable of intercepting pressure from thecylinder, but at the same time should be destroyed or removed by theinternal pressure of the fired cartridge. This effect is obtained, forexample, with the aid of the circular members 32 in Fig. 3.

The electrical ignition device 25 for the cartridges is connected by thewires 20 for example with a battery 26 (Fig. 5), the circuit of which iscompleted by the spring 28 and contact 29 In the cartridge 24 there isprovided the gas-producing substance, which in the present example isagain composed of three separate sections, viz., a small quantity 30a,which burns as first of the sections at high speed, a more slowlyburning quantity 30b ignited by the first, and a final sec- 30 tion 380,which burns more quickly than 30b but more slowly than 30a.

Naturally for other types of brakes and braking purposes it is possiblein similar fashion to select other form and extent of the braking energyby chemical and physical action on the substances or reactions producingthe regulated diiference in pressure.

Thus, for example, the breaking rope, instead of closing a contact, mayalso ignite a primer, which in turn fires the substance producing thepressure, Or the breaking rope might also induce other forms of chemicalreaction, for example cause the destruction or opening of one or morereceptacles, thus introducing an acid and a carbonate into contact witheach other, as for example in the known fire-extinguishing apparatus,and causing the generation of the gas.

The remarks set forth in the above relative to the rope of a lift applyalso, for example, to

the traction rope of a suspension or like railway system or to similararrangements. The device for generating the gases or the vacuum toproduce a difference in pressure may also be employed in similar fashionfor like emergencies between tractors and trailers, for railways,

tramways, lorries and the like.

It is also possible to employ as mechanical means for initiating thechemical reaction bodies of inertia, such as weights which, in similarfashion to the breaking rope, cause the development of the gases or thevacuum under certain conditions of excessive or undesirable speed oracceleration or also retardation. These modifications of the principlesof the invention as 5 described are all based on known means andarrangements, and do not, therefore, require detailed description;

The braking system .may naturally also be operated at will, for exampleby means of a 7g trigger, by the connection of an electric current, byopening an inlet valve, or the like.

What I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is:

1. I n a braking system of the character de- 7 the braking operation.

scribed, a brake cylinder, a member movable in the said cylinderactuating the brake, means for producing by the action of chemicals 9.diilerence in pressure on opposite sides of the said member, and meansfor automaticallyregulating the said diiierence in pressure during theaction of 2. In a braking system of the character described, a brakecylinder, a member movable in the said cylinder actuating the brake,means for producing by the action or chemicals a difference in pressureon opposite sides of the said member, and means for automaticallyregulating the said diflerence in pressure in order to coordinate thebraking action to the specific mechanical requirements of a given brakesystem.

3.'In a braking system of the character described, a brake cylinder, amember movable in the said cylinder actuating the brake, means forproducing by the action of chemicals a difierence in pressure onopposite sides of the said member, means for automatically regulatingthe said difl'erence in pressure during the braking operation, and meansfor automatically initiatlng the said action of the chemicals to producethe said'diflerence in pressure in harmony with the braking pressurenecessary at each stage of .the braking action.

4. In a braking system of the character described in its application toa conveying means propelled by a source of power, a brake cylinder, amember movable in the said cylinder, means for producing by the actionof chemicals a difference in pressure on opposite sides of the saidmember, means for automatically regulating the said diflerence inpressure during the brakin operation, and means actuated automaticallyupon failure of the said power source to initiate the action of thechemicals for producing the diflerence in pressure.

5. In a braking system of the character described in its application toconveying means actuated by a rope, a brake cylinder, a member movablein the said cylinder actuating the brake, means for producing by theaction oi chemicals a diflerence in pressure on oppoflte sides of thesaid member, means for automatically regulat ing the said diilerence inpressure during the braking operation, and means actuated auto maticallyupon the breaking of the said rope to initiate the action of thechemicals for producing the difference in pressure.

6. In a braking system or the character described in its application toconveying means actuated by a rope, a brake cylinder, a member movablein the said cylinder actuating the brake, means for producing bychemical action a difierence in pressure on opposite sides or the saidmember, means for automatically regulating the said diiterence inpressure during the braking operation, an ignition device for initiatingthe reaction of the chemicals, and a contact" device operatedautomatically upon the breaking or the said rope for actuating the saidignition means. 7. In a braking system of the character described, abrake cylinder, a member movable in the said cylinder actuating thebrake, a nonexplosive chemical charge for producing an increase inpressure on the one side of the said member, means for igniting the saidcharge, and means for automatically regulating the difference inpressure on the two sides of the said member during the brakingoperation.

8. In a braking system of the character described, a brake cylinder, amember movable in said cylinder actuating a brake, a chemical chargecomprising separate sections having different gas producing. speed forproducing an increase in pressure on one side of said member and meansfor igniting said sections successively in order to produce variablequantities of gas at difierent determined speeds.

9. In a braking system of the character described, a brake cylinder, amembergmovable in the said cylinder actuating the brake, a plurality ofchemical charges each comprising separate .sections for producing anincrease in pressure on the one side of the said member, means forinitiating the said charges separately, each of the said charges uponinitiation producing gas at diflerent determined speeds, and means forcompensating the difierence in pressure on the two sides of the saidmember between the combustion of each two charges.

10. In a braking system of the character described, a brake cylinder, amember movable in the said cylinder actuating the brake, a plurality ofchemical charges each comprising separate sections for producinganincrease in pressure on the one side of the said member, meansforigniting the said charges separately, and means for protecting thereserve charges during the reaction of any one charge from the action'of the latter.

11. In a braking system of the character described, a conveying means,means for trans-' mitting power from a source of power to said conveyingmeans in order to propel the same, a brake cylinder, a membermovableinsaid brake cylinder,

means for producing by the action of chemicals a diil'erence in pressureon opposite sides of the said member, means for automatically regulatingthe said diflerence in pressure during the braking operation, and meansactuated automatically upon failure of said power transmitting means toinitiate the action of the, chemicals for producing the difierence inpressure.

12. In a braking system of the character described, a brake cylinder, amember movable in the said cylinder actuating the brake, a plurality ofchemical charges each comprising separate sections for. producing uponinitiation an increase in pressure on one side of said member atdetermined speed, means for initiating the said charges separately andmeans for compensating the difference in pressure on the two sides ofsaid member between the combustion of each two charges.

13. In a braking system ofthe character described, a brake cylinder, amember movable in

